Does learning a second or third language affect the adaptation of cognitive control in multilinguals? A longitudinal...

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Psycholinguistics
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Bilingualism research indicates cognitive control adapts to second language (L2) learning.
• The impact of third language (L3) acquisition on cognitive control remains largely uninvestigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally investigate how L2 and L3 learning influence cognitive control.
• To examine behavioral and neural changes associated with L2 and L3 acquisition.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal study of Chinese-English bilinguals learning English (L2) or Japanese (L3).
• Collected behavioral data (flanker task) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data at resting-state and during task performance.
• Correlated resting-state functional connectivity with language exam scores.

Main Results:

• L2 learning (English) was associated with reduced flanker effect and increased left superior frontal gyrus activation during incongruent trials.
• Resting-state connectivity between left anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and left precuneus correlated positively with English listening scores.
• Connectivity between right supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and right inferior parietal lobe (IPL) correlated negatively with English oral performance.
• No significant behavioral or neural changes in cognitive control were observed after L3 (Japanese) learning.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive control mechanisms adapt to L2 learning.
• L3 learning, in this context, did not demonstrate a significant impact on cognitive control adaptations.
• Findings highlight the differential effects of L2 versus L3 acquisition on executive functions.